1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital camera having a printing function.
2. Description of the Related Art
A digital camera having a printing function is well known. For example, a digital camera combined with a printer is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. HEI 3-29471.
In the foregoing digital camera combined with the printer, however practical usability on the product level has not been considered. Specifically, consideration has not been given to the behavior of the camera during a printing operation which may take a longer period of time than a shooting operation in the camera. In particular, consideration has not been given to the behavior of a member for performing a protruding operation or the like with respect to the main body of the camera during the printing operation.
If attention is focused on the operation of a lens barrier and a lens barrel, fore example, the lens barrel protruding from the open barrier during the printing operation will cause the whole camera to lose balance. In addition, the camera may tip over as a result of vibration during the printing operation. In that case, the lens may break or become damaged. There is also the possibility that the apparatus may sway from being off balance during printing, which may adversely affect the result of printing. A pop-up flash would similarly cause the whole camera to lose balance if the pop-up flash is in a popped-up state, i.e., in use.
Although the operation of charging the capacitor of a flash is inhibited during the printing operation in accordance with the disclosure of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. HEI 9-116843, consideration has not been given to the operation of the pop-up flash.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a digital camera having a printing function wherein a moving member typical of the function of the camera is prevented from causing the whole apparatus to lose balance during a printing operation and adversely affecting the printing operation.